What is Child Support in New Jersey and When Does it End?

It is the responsibility of both parents to ensure that the needs of their children are met. Child Support in New Jersey is in most cases based upon the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines. The support amount is based upon the income of both parents and the average amount that intact families spend on their children. There are cases where the child support guidelines are not appropriate because the parents earn either too much or too little to fit within the parameters of the guidelines.

The obligation to pay child support ends upon a child’s emancipation when they are deemed to no longer be in need of their parent’s support. When is a child emancipated? This is an important question for both the person receiving child support and the person paying child support; not to mention the children themselves. There is no simple answer. Child support in New Jersey does not simply or automatically terminate at 18. Emancipation can be triggered by numerous events such as graduation from high school/college, marriage of the child, enlistment of the child in the military or termination of parental rights. Certain events, such as college can extend a child’s emancipation date into their early twenties. It must be remembered that the goal of child support is just that, support of the children’s needs.

If you have questions about child support please do not hesitate to contact us at (908) 879-9499.